Homecoming games are usually scheduled to set the home team up for an easy win. The matchup is picked months in advance to ensure that the larger-than-average crowd leaves the game satisfied.
But the men's soccer team will not be facing any pushovers tomorrow. The Quakers fight to retain their first-place Ivy standing against a Brown team that trails them by only two points.
Penn (8-4-1, 4-1 Ivy) is currently tied with Harvard for first in the Ivy League, but owns the tie-breaker for the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after beating the Crimson, 3-1. The Quakers will clinch the league if they win out in their remaining two games, and Brown is the most difficult team remaining on the schedule.
The Bears (10-3-2, 3-1-1) are still in the hunt for the championship, and this game is a do-or-die situation. The desperate circumstances will make the talented team even more dangerous on gameday.
"I don't see any weaknesses," Penn coach Rudy Fuller said of Brown. "They are a team that has done a great job over the years, and they know what it takes to win."
Brown should prove to be a very explosive team if it can put many shots on goal, especially after restarts. The Bears have the second most goals in the Ivy League with nine, yet have given up that same amount this season, placing them last in the Ancient Eight.
Penn may have the best chance of shutting down this potent offense, since the Quakers defense is allowing only 0.6 goals a game in league play. It seems likely that at least one team will not be playing its usual game this weekend, and the Red and Blue figures that it will gain the edge from the fan support expected at Rhodes Field.
"Homecoming can be a tremendous advantage," Fuller said. "I would ask everyone in the student body to come out for the game."
The Quakers will attempt to stay on pace for their first Ivy title since 2002, a year before the current senior class joined the team. An this point, even an outright title is still possible, and would be the Quakers' first since 1972.
Senior leadership, highlighted by goalie Dan Cepero (six shutouts) and forward Ryan Tracy (a team-leading four goals), will look to maintain the focus of a team that has not shied away from big games or tough competition.
This will be crucial in a game where the team will face one of its toughest opponents, with possibly the biggest crowd of the season and the Ivy League title on the line.
Fuller does not believe that this should be a problem.
"What this team has done very well this year is focused on the job at hand," he said. "We ignore all the other distractions that come with a big game, and we focus on what we have to do."
The Quakers' philosophy is to take the season one game at a time, allowing the big picture to come into focus only after it has been achieved. It won't hurt that the most crucial game in achieving a championship will fall on homecoming.
